Windable storage reel

ABSTRACT

A line winder has a spool body including a cylinder and a pair of annular disc-shaped flanges that together define a toroidal volume for receiving a wound flexible line. A handgrip body is located substantially inside the cylinder. The handgrip body slidingly engages an inwardly facing surface of the cylinder and is coupled to the spool body by a groove and a rib. The groove is provided in either the cylinder or the handgrip body, while the rib is provided on the other of the cylinder and the handgrip body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a reel for winding flexible tensile members such as cords, rope, wire, mason's line, etc.

Hand-held reels for winding and storing flexible tensile members such as cords, rope, wire, mason's line, etc., have long been available to the purchasing public. Older versions of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 196,128 to Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,557 to Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,876 to Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,250,281 to Sundstrand, U.S. Pat. No. 1,543,489 to Wilson, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,037,465 to Prissell. More recent versions of a cord or rope winder are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,433 to Kovalik et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,093 to Limber, U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 408,720 to Sheng, U.S. Design Patent No. Des. 359,440 to Stewart, U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 341,770 to Spear et al., U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 314,910 to Van Skiver, U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 281,763 to Smith, U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 263,371 to Allen, Cord Reel” (1982), and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 226,898 to Tamarin.

Some prior art take-up reels are provided with apertures in a hub for entraining the leading end of a cord or other flexible tensile member, as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,598 to Kovacik et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,290 to Harrill, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,944,669 to Purdy. Other take-up reels include multiple notches along the peripheries of the reel flanges for capturing or holding a trailing end of a cord or other flexible member, as depicted and described in U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 301,834 to Soltes and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 268,734 to Soltes.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a take-up reel for flexible line members.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide such a take-up reel that is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the drawings and description herein. Although every object of the invention is believed to be attained by at least one embodiment of the invention, there is not necessarily any one embodiment of the invention that achieves all of the objects of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A line winder in accordance with the present invention comprises a spool body including a cylinder and a pair of annular disc-shaped flanges that together define a toroidal volume for receiving a wound flexible line. A handgrip body is located substantially inside the cylinder. The handgrip body slidingly engages an inwardly facing surface of the cylinder and is coupled to the spool body by a groove and a rib. The groove is provided in either the cylinder or the handgrip body, while the rib is provided on the other of the cylinder and the handgrip body.

The handgrip body preferably includes a bar and a sleeve, the bar being connected to the sleeve and the sleeve slidingly engaging the inwardly facing surface of the cylinder. The bar may be connected at opposite ends to the sleeve and extend diametrically across the cylindrical space defined by the cylindrical inwardly facing surface of the cylinder. More particularly, the bar may be integral or unitary at its opposite ends with the sleeve. In that case, the sleeve and the bar are formed simultaneously in a single injection molding process. The spool body may likewise be formed in another injection molding process.

The rib is preferably provided on the inwardly facing surface of the cylinder and the groove on the sleeve.

Pursuant to another feature of the present invention, the sleeve has a pair of circular edges and is formed along one of the edges with a plurality of slits extending parallel to an axis of the sleeve, the groove being intersected by the slits. The sleeve is thus formed along one of the edges with a plurality of extension sections defined in part by the slits, while the groove including a plurality of separate and aligned groove segments formed in respective ones of the extension sections.

The sleeve may be provided along another one of the edges (opposite the edge with the slits and the groove) with an outwardly turned lip that engages a radially inner periphery of one of the flanges.

Pursuant to another feature of the present invention, at least one of the flanges of the spool is provided along an edge with a plurality of notches of different sizes, for receiving and catching flexible wound lines of different diameters. The notches are preferably arranged in order of increasing diameter.

One or both of the flanges may be provided with at least two pluralities of differently sizes notches, the notches within each plurality of notches being arranged in order of increasing diameter.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the cylinder of the spool is provided with an opening for receiving a leading end of a flexible line, where the cylinder has a tongue projecting into the opening. The opening may be substantially C-shaped by virtue of the tongue. Also, the opening may be defined in part by a pair of beveled edges on opposite sides of the tongue.

The flanges may be pierced with a plurality of thin arcuate slits that afford visual inspection of the cord windings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front, top and right side perspective view of a windable storage reel in accordance with the present invention, showing a rope wound onto the reel.

FIG. 2 is a front, top and left side perspective view of the storage reel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the storage reel of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the storage reel of FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the storage reel of FIGS. 1-4.

FIG. 6 is a left side elevational view of the storage reel of FIGS. 1-5.

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the storage reel of FIGS. 1-6.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of the storage reel of FIGS. 1-7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a handgrip body included in the storage reel of FIGS. 1-8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As depicted in the drawings, a manually operable reel for winding flexible line members comprises two principal parts, namely, a spool body 12 and a handgrip body 14. These parts 12 and 14 may be each formed from polymeric material in a respective injection molding operation. Spool body 12 includes a cylindrical hub 16 and a pair of annular disc-shaped flanges 18 and 20 that together define a toroidal volume 22 for receiving a flexible line in a wound configuration. Handgrip body 14 is slidably coupled to spool body 16 for rotation relative thereto about an axis 24 of cylindrical hub 16. More particularly, handgrip body 14 is located substantially inside cylindrical hub 16 and slidingly engages an inwardly facing surface 26 of the hub.

Handgrip body 14 includes a bar 28 and a sleeve 30. At its opposite ends (not designated), bar 28 is connected to and is integral or unitary with sleeve 30. Bar 28 extends diametrically across a cylindrical space 32 defined by inwardly facing cylindrical surface 26 of hub 16.

Sleeve 30 slidingly engages the inwardly facing surface 26 of hub 16 and is coupled to spool body 12 by at least one groove 34 and at least one rib 36. Groove 34 is formed in sleeve 30 of handgrip body 14, while rib 36 is provided on inwardly facing surface 26 of hub 16 and handgrip body 14.

Sleeve 30 has a pair of circular edges 38 and 40 and is formed along edge 38 with a plurality of slits 42 extending parallel to axis 24 of spool hub 16 (s well as sleeve 30). Sleeve 30 is thus formed along edge 38 with a circular array of laterally oriented extension sections 44 defined in part by slits 42, so that groove 34 includes a plurality of separate and aligned groove segments 46 formed in respective extension sections 44. Groove 34 may be viewed as a single groove intersected by slits 42 to form groove segments 46.

Two gaps 48 and 50 are formed in the circular array of extension sections 44 proximately to the ends of bar 28, thus dividing the array of extension sections 44 into two spaced arcuate arrays 52 and 54. Similarly, groove 34 is divided into two sets (not separately designated) of groove segments 46. Slits 42 and extension sections 44 function at least in part to facilitate manufacture of the cord winder or reel.

Sleeve 30 is formed along edge 40 with a radially outwardly turned lip 56 that engages a radially inner periphery of flange 18.

Spool flanges 18 and 20 are provided along radially outer edges 58 and 60 with several sets of notches 62 of different sizes, for receiving and catching flexible wound lines of different diameters. Notches 62 are preferably arranged in order of increasing diameter, as illustrated

Spool hub 16 is formed with an opening 64 for receiving a leading end of a flexible line. A tongue 66 projects into opening 64 so that the opening has a substantially C-shape. Opening 64 is provided at opposite sides of tongue 66 with a pair of beveled or inclined edges 68 and 70 that facilitate, together with the C shape of opening 64, the catching of a leading end of a flexible line element. Beveled or inclined edges 68 and 70 may be provided with teeth or serrations (not separately designated) for further facilitating capture of a leading end of a flexible line element.

Flanges 18 and 20 are pierced or perforated with multiple circular arrays of thin arcuate slits 72, 74, 76 that afford visual inspection of cord windings. Slits 74 are longer than slits 72 and slits 76 are longer than slits 74. In addition, a knob 78 is attached to flange 20 along edge 60 thereof for facilitating winding operations. A user grips bar 28 with one hand, supporting the entire reel thereby, and grasps knob 78 with the other hand to turn spool body 12 about axis 24 relative to handgrip body 14. Knob 78 may be rotatably coupled to flange 20 or fixed relative thereto. In the latter case, the user's hand slides relative to the surface of knob 74 during a cord winding operation.

Edges 58 and 60 are provided with parallel and coextensive flats or land regions 80 and 82 for enabling one to stably stand the reel on its flanges 18 and 20.

Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof. 

1. A line winder comprising: a spool body including a cylinder and a pair of annular disc-shaped flanges that together define a toroidal volume for receiving a wound flexible line; a handgrip body located substantially inside said cylinder, said handgrip body slidingly engaging an inwardly facing surface of said cylinder, said handgrip body being coupled to said spool body by at least one groove and at least one rib, said groove being provided in one of said cylinder and said handgrip body, said rib being provided on the other of said cylinder and said handgrip body.
 2. The line winder defined in claim 1 wherein said handgrip body includes a bar and a sleeve, said bar being connected to said sleeve, said sleeve slidingly engaging said inwardly facing surface of said cylinder.
 3. The line winder defined in claim 2 wherein said rib is provided on said inwardly facing surface of said cylinder and said groove is provided on said sleeve.
 4. The line winder defined in claim 3 wherein said sleeve has a pair of circular edges, said sleeve being formed along one of said edges with a plurality of slits extending parallel to an axis of said sleeve, said groove being intersected by said slits.
 5. The line winder defined in claim 4 wherein said sleeve is provided along another one of said edges with an outwardly turned lip, said lip engaging a radially inner periphery of one of said flanges.
 6. The line winder defined in claim 3 wherein said sleeve has a pair of circular edges, said sleeve being formed along one of said edges with a plurality of extension sections defined in part by slits extending parallel to an axis of said sleeve, said groove including a plurality of separate and aligned groove segments formed in respective ones of said extension sections.
 7. The line winder defined in claim 2 wherein said bar is integral at opposite ends with said sleeve.
 8. The line winder defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said flanges is provided along an edge with a plurality of notches of different sizes, for receiving and catching flexible wound lines of different diameters.
 9. The line winder defined in claim 8 wherein said notches are arranged in order of increasing diameter.
 10. The line winder defined in claim 9 wherein said one of said flanges is provided with at least two pluralities of differently sizes notches, the notches within each plurality of notches being arranged in order of increasing diameter.
 11. The line winder defined in claim 1 wherein said cylinder is provided with an opening for receiving a leading end of a flexible line, said cylinder having a tongue projecting into said opening.
 12. The line winder defined in claim 11 wherein said opening is substantially C-shaped by virtue of said tongue.
 13. The line winder defined in claim 12 wherein said opening is defined in part by a pair of beveled edges on opposite sides of said tongue.
 14. The line winder defined in claim 1 wherein said cylinder is provided with an opening for receiving a leading end of a flexible line, said cylinder having a tongue projecting into said opening.
 15. The line winder defined in claim 11 wherein said opening is substantially C-shaped by virtue of said tongue.
 16. The line winder defined in claim 12 wherein said opening is defined in part by a pair of beveled edges on opposite sides of said tongue.
 17. The line winder defined in claim 1, further comprising a knob projecting outwardly from one of said flanges.
 18. The line winder defined in claim 1 wherein said flanges are pierced with a plurality of thin arcuate slits that afford visual inspection of the cord windings. 